The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-10
THE "PUNGER GOURD.''
PUzzLING INQUIRY THAT HAS wOR-
RIED PRESIDENT MADDEN.
Flood Of Historical and Legal Light
Thrown Upon the Subject by Liter
airy and Scientific Savant-Old Law
yers Floored on the Conundrum.

The following letter OF inquiry was re-
ceived by President MADDEN, OF the Tax
ing District, yesterday:
BROOKLYN, Dec. G, 1857
President David +. Hidden.
har Sir-ln Tennessee the law exempts from
execution, among other household articles, the
s'unnger gourd" The above statement WINS made
incne OF our daily papers and the question was
asked, what docs 'ptnger' mean? win you kindly
inform me2 Pardon the liberty. Respectfully,
tt HATTIE 4. HALL,
Iva No. 81 Division avenue
when seen by THE APPEAL law repor-
ter at the city hall, President MADDEN was
much disturbed by the letter, he fearing
that he would be unable to answer the
question satisfactorily. As the "punger
eourd" had legal aspect, it being exempt
from execution, bright idea struck him
and the telephone was for time kept
busy in interviews with old lawyers, but
mot one Of them knew anything Of the eX-
empted article. As the 'punger gourd"
has appeared in the exempt law" since
tennessee was part OF North Carolina,
be Immediately telephoned TO the North
carolina and East Tennessee law
Sers, they having been raised
among the mountains, where
pit was more than probable it had its origin,
but even they pleaded ignorance of any
knowledge on the subject Thus possess
ing not only legal, but historical inter
est, il being older than the State itself.
President MADDEN determined not TO let
the ''punger gourd' rest until he had
made the discovery OF its origin.
| Fortunately for his peace OF mind, and
also that OF TIE APPEAL reporters, an old
! gentleman walked into the Office, and
when the question was propounded he
laughed heartily, probably at the ignor-
ance Of the lawyers, as well as that of
President MADDEN, whom he said that,
being Kentuckian, ought TO know some
thing about ii, but the president denied
that the ''punger gourd" was known in
any part OF Kentucky, either on mountain
or plain. The old gentleman then stated
that similar articles, but OF different ma
terial, had been found among the ruins
and pyramids Of Egypt, also in the lava
buried cities OF Hierculaneum and Pompeii,
! and, indeed, they were often discovered
| in ceramic deposits beneath the In
dian mounds OF this country. The
article, in one form or another
was rs old ~ civilization itself, and may
possibly have been in the Garden OF Eden,
where vegetable lie wasluxuriant in every
form. Even in the Middle Ages, the
Dark Ages so called" said he, "when the
arts decayed and many were forgotten, not
even TO be revived or reproduced during
the Renaissance, the article kept its exist
ence and use"
"But hold on, cried out President Had
den, seeing that the old gentleman was
delving into historic and ceramic lore,
4'just tell MS what IL il now"
"Well," smilingly answered the learned
man, ''it now comes in the form Of pottery,
queensware or china, the most expensive
in the last form. You know that in the
early settlement Of North Carolina and
Tennessee, such thing as queensware or
! china was unknown, and even carthenwarc
| pottery was not 10 be found everywhere;
then il was that the gourd was put TO use
| in many ways-for drinking purposes, rs
powder TASKS, and as 'pungcrs.'
Eyes, that's IL, y said Mr.. MADDEN, eN-
eitedly; what is the pungerp
"Oh, well, II YOU are in n hurry and
ant 10 90 home Ill wind up the story"
concluded the savant. ''On your way
home step into any china store and ask 10
Book at chamber set, and one OF the
pieces will remind you of your inquiry,
'What Is punger gourd2'
Silence prevailed for few minutes after
the gentleman had left the Office, but the
light OF his knowledge and learning ne
manned, and the stiffness was broken by
| the president saying "By Ganny, / must
answer the lady's letter tonight, and tell
her all about IL "